The Vigil: A reading / Theater-in-the-Round: A walk back in time / Opera-Lite / ‘Homage’

Before the students watched the actual reading of Ladislas Fodor’s "The Vigil" at the FEU auditorium, a short documentary on proper theater decorum was shown, with the students themselves demonstrating this in the film as they enter the theater, take their seats and see a performance. The youngsters thus quickly learned correct theater behavior without effort.

To the painless lesson was added theater history via a documentary on the prestigious Barangay Theater Guild which was founded by Lamberto and Daisy Avellana in 1939. The film clips illustrated how the BTG tremendously furthered the cause of theater (in English) in this country. In some way, this film portion implied the influence of Lamberto V. Avellana, National Artist for Film, on his wife Daisy who adapted and directed "The Vigil" which followed.

The imaginative adaptation presented a modern-day courtroom trial that re-created Easter vigil. Christ’s body is missing from the tomb and the Gardener is suspected of stealing and stashing it away. There are the Judge, the Prosecutor, the Counsel for the Defense. Successively taking the witness stand are the dramatis personae who were present before, during and after Christ’s passion and death on the cross.

As the players acted out their roles while they read – the witnesses were seated while the Prosecutor and the Defense Counsel navigated around the courtroom – the initial scenes seemed rather slow-moving, largely because neither the characters nor their testimonies were all that interesting or exciting.

But just when the scenes were bordering on tedium, the momentum picked up and the pace quickened with the enlivening appearances of Tony Mabesa as Pontius Pilate, Arriel Carrion as Saul of Tarsus – how marvelously big and resonant was his voice! – Bart Guingona as Sadoc, Rustica Carpio as Susana, Jerry Domingo as Prof. Thaddeus and Ivi Avellana Cosio as Mary Magdalene.

Carpio and Cosio were particularly outstanding. In superb fashion, Carpio portrayed an utterly terrified, confused, nervous witness who, despite her frightened assertions, gave the unerring impression hat she was telling the truth. Cosio, wearing a bright red shawl that implied her former flamboyant lifestyle, conveyed total loyalty and devotion to Jesus. She was defiant and furious by turns at the prosecutor’s slightest insinuation of her shady past. Cosio was taking the role earlier assumed by her mother Daisy. Moving as Cosio was, however, Daisy’s past performances in various roles suggested that she must have been more fiery and intense than Cosio.

Jose Mari Avellana consistently struck the viewer as a skeptical, cynical and sardonic prosecutor. Paul Holme was the picture of an eloquently unequivocal, straight-as-an-arrow Counsel for the Defense.

The rest of the characters – Mindo Fajardo as the judge, Butch Zabarte as the clerk, Evert Gandarosa as the gardener, Lamberto Avellana Jr. as Lucius, Ernie Zarate as Joseph of Arimathea and Mitos C. Araneta as Lady Procula – contributed their share to the resounding over-all success of the reading under the authoritative, seasoned direction of National Artist for Theater Daisy Avellana.

The play reached no verdict, turning members of the audience into instant jurors and leaving them to judge the case for themselves. Was Jesus’ body stolen or did He rise from the dead?

Associate director was Jose Mari Avellana; Lamberto Avellana Jr. was in-charge of music. Ivi Avellana Cosio was production manager.

"The Vigil" was presented primarily for the student body by the FEU and its President’s Committee on Culture headed by executive director Rustica Carpio. She deserves hearty commendation for enriching the students’ background in theater and deepening their appreciation of it.

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The following announcement is with hardly any revision or editing.

The Department of Tourism and Intramuros Administration present "A Walk Back in Time: The Intramuros Theatre-in-the-Round Experience", a series of multi-performance events highlighting pre-colonial life within the walled city of Intramuros. The walk-about experience which began May 17 will run through Dec. 23 every Friday and Saturday from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Plaza San Ignacio in Intramuros.

The event is open to the public and admission is free.

Activities include an experiential theater show with Tanghalang Pilipino performances scripted by Palanca award winner Rody Vera and directed by Chris Millado. Audiences will delight in being part of the theater performances twice nightly, 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. /A parade of characters in colonial period costumes at 7:15 p.m. just before the start of the theater-in-the-round show.

Performances by contemporary bands Friday nights at 10 p.m. Nov. 24, Clique; Dec. 1, 7th Soul; Dec. 8, Industria; Dec. 15, Firm Session; Dec. 22, Toy Symphony.

Chorale renditions Dec. 15, 16, 22 and 24 from 7:15 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Plaza San Ignacio. Audio-visual presentations from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Plaza San Ignacio featuring Land of Our Birth/People of the Philippines/Intramuros: Sanctuary of the Filipino Soul/Images of the Philippines.

Food Festival, Fridays and Saturdays, 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Pook Alitaptap in front of Plaza San Ignacio. Filipino, Via Mare/Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, ZNH Chinese Bistro/Arabia, Middle East, Persia, India, Shawarma Middle East Cuisine.

Lantern Festival, Fridays and Saturdays, 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Plaza San Ignacio.

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At 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 23, 24 and 25, avid lover of the arts Toots Tolentino will present Opera-a-Lite at the Teatrino in Greenhills under the direction of Floy Quintos. Nolyn Cabahug, Karla Gutierrez, Nenen Espina, Elver Esquivel and Juan Alberto Gaerlan will render operatic arias in popular musical arrangements.

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On Friday, Nov. 24, starting at 8 p.m., "Homage to the Pavement: Street Art, Spoken Word" will star Cesare Syjuco and the Electric Underground Collective, with live performances of very special friends. Venue: The Blue Room Gallery in Bangkal, Makati. Produced by Jean Marie Syjuco and Raffy Ignacio, it will be hosted by Trix Syjuco.